Lorain County soccer team to be Leviathan

This story has been edited to correct the name of ForeFront Field. A Leviathan is coming to Lorain County. The USL2 soccer team will be known as the Leviathan. Its logo features a color scheme evocative of the water, featuring a small inset of the Lorain Lighthouse, and the name is intended to evoke the mythic sea monsters of the Great Lakes, including South Bay Bessie, the Lake Erie monster. "We think of him as a protector of the county," team Chairman Andrew McDonnell said at the event announcing the team's name and logo. The name and logo were announced Tuesday evening at a party at T3 Performance, not far from ForeFront Field, where the team is expected to begin play in May. Leviathan was one of four potential names and logos offered for a public vote, and received a majority of the more than 2,000 votes cast. "It really was a runaway," McDonnell said. "We were trying to involve the community, and I think it worked," said Adam Stalnaker, a member of the team's ownership group. All of the names and logos were nods to Lorain County industries and history. The team's mascot will be Jack Nolan. (His name is taken from Jack, McDonnell's son, and Nolan, Stalnaker's son.) His backstory is that he's a native of England, growing up a soccer fan, who came to Lorain County at the prodding of his wife, Caroline, a county native. He worked on the docks of Lorain County, and became a folk hero for saving a stranded fishing crew during a violent storm — with help from a lake creature that protected him. But Jack didn't return to shore. He became one with the storm. Community interest was apparent at the event. Among those in attendance was Jessi Paul, an Avon native who now coaches soccer at Lorain County Community College. "I think it's huge," she said of the new team. "Soccer in Northeast Ohio has grown so much, and it's cool to see." McDonnell said already 100 season tickets have been sold for the team. Blake New from Oberlin College was hired to be the next coach, and the team is now working on a roster. They'll probably have 23-25 players on the active roster (league rules allow up to 30), while dressing 18 for game day, said Nick Turchan, another member of the ownership group. The team's recruiting internationally right now, McDonnell said, with plans to start evaluating college talent closer to the start of the season. "We're looking forward to seeing you all on Memorial Day," McDonnell told the crowd at the event. Contact Vince Guerrieri at 440-329-7124 or vguerrieri@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @vinceguerrieri.